A Thalapathy Lost
Give him time, say many, but a State cannot afford to twiddle its thumbs & wait
Picture credit: Actor Vijay FP on X
People are not charitable. Not when it comes to the rape and murder of a 10-year-old child in Sulur, Coimbatore.
Nor either, when it comes to long power cuts during the peak summer days.
Whether Tamil Nadu’s newly minted Chief Minister Vijay realises it or not, the clock began ticking the moment he took oath. The expectations are high. Because Vijay promised the people of Tamil Nadu change. Because he seemed like a breath of fresh air. Because many people believed that he was the hero they needed. The hero he had portrayed himself to be in his films.
But governance is not easy. And when expectations are sky high, reality is bound to fall short.
People are not charitable. Tamil Nadu has given Vijay about 12 days to settle in and appoint his ministers and officers. The latter is likely still incomplete.
There were announcements and GOs (Government Orders) that seemed promising at first look. But scratch the surface and there are no new ideas. Worse, they are ill thought out, poorly planned moves.
One example is that of the much-hailed Singapen task force which was meant to be the game-changer in ensuring safety for women and children in the State. The task force was created as the fulfillment of a poll promise — “To enhance the safety of women”, ensuring “visible policing measures to instill confidence among women and provide assistance to women in distress.” There was a lot of hype about how women police personnel would be positioned in plain clothes near schools, colleges and bus stops.
Let us set aside the fact that this exact same task force is already existent as the Crime Against Women and Children (CAWC) wing, set up in 2019 with the exact same objectives as the Singapen task force. The Singapen task force is comprised of exactly 36 women police officers for the State’s 38 districts. Contrast this with the CAWC which already has over 5,300 police personnel and over 1,600 Child Welfare police officers.
People will not be charitable at all, Chief Minister. Every other announcement is a regurgitated version of existing policies — like TASMAC not serving alcohol to those aged below 21 years. Or of TASMAC shutting shop at 10 pm. Or closing down hundreds of TASMAC outlets which function near schools and residential areas.
The problem with relying on optics is that it does not take too long for the facts to be revealed. A Chief Minister who was truly concerned about law and order and the safety of women and children, should have, at least for the first horrific rape-murder case under his watch, consoled the grieving family in person. The police would now facilitate such a move and the excuse of “not getting permission” is now illogical.
The video of the mother of the murdered child asking the Chief Minister to do his filmy heroic acts, sobbing that she voted for him because she believed he is a real hero, should show a mirror to the Chief Minister about the expectations that the people hold him to. What was perhaps even harder to digest was the painful silence and the excruciating delay in even condoling the parents.
Tamil Nadu’s IAS officers are far from inept — one would expect that they would have a statement ready as soon as the news arrived. The delay in issuing it is, therefore, all the more mystifying.
As for the power cuts — the majority of Tamils do not have air conditioners or air coolers. A ceiling fan is a basic necessity to tide over hot, humid days and nights, with temperatures crossing 40 degrees Celsius. It is near impossible to have a good night’s sleep during Agni Nakshatram or Katthiri. Tempers rise along with the temperature.
Younger Tamils would perhaps not be aware of the nightmarish period between 2006 and 2011 when long and frequent power cuts were the norm. This was one of the key issues that made Tamil voters send the DMK home packing in the 2011 election. When Jayalalithaa came to power, resolving power cuts was on top of her priority list and she ensured she delivered, even if the taxpayer had to pay high prices to purchase expensive naphtha power.
Since then, the State has managed to ensure that power supply, by and large, has been consistent and that no major power cuts take place. Blaming TANGEDCO officials for “deliberately” cutting supply since they were appointed by the DMK, is a foolish argument. Shooting reels showing that TANGEDCO officials are not present in their offices at night during a power cut is equally childish.
Governance is missing in Tamil Nadu at the moment. And if the Chief Minister takes the glory, he must take the blame in equal measure. The State cannot wait for 6 months while he settles down and understands what his role is. After summer will come the monsoon and with this demonstrated ineptness, one fears flooding and associated loss of life and property.
It is time to step up, Chief Minister. You got the mandate. Now show us you can govern too. Else, people will not be charitable.